سلامpeace علىupon الشطthe shore الذيwhich كنتyou were نورهits light
سلام على الشط الذي كنت نوره
ليالnights كناwe were فيin أمانsafety منfrom الدهرtime
ليال كنا في أمان من الدهر
Peace upon the shore whose light you were,
Peace be upon the riverbank that was your light
On nights when we were safe from time.
At night we were safe from fate’s cruelty
وردناهwe came to it عشاقاas lovers ظرافاcharming كأنناas though we
وردناه عشاقا ظرافا كأننا
حمائمdoves يصبيهنentices them ثغرa mouth إلىtoward ثغرa mouth
حمائم يصبيهن ثغر إلى ثغر
We came to it as charming lovers, as though we were
And we found it, lovers graceful, as though we were
Doves beguiled by lips meeting lips.
Doves kissing beak to beak
تبدلتhas changed الدنياthe world وزالand vanished نعيمهاits bliss
تبدلت الدنيا وزال نعيمها
وإنand if كنتyou were لاnot تدريyou know فإنيthen I فتىa young man يدريwho knows
وإن كنت لا تدري فإني فتى يدري
The world has changed, and its bliss has vanished.
The world has changed and its bliss is gone
And if you do not know, I am a young man who knows.
And if you don’t know, I’m a lad who knows
مضيتyou went إلىto حلوانHelwan تطلبyou seek راحةrest
مضيت إلى حلوان تطلب راحة
شفاؤكyour cure عنديwith me إنif جنحتyou lean إلىtoward صدريmy breast
شفاؤك عندي إن جنحت إلى صدري
You went to Helwan seeking rest;
I went to Helwan seeking rest
Your cure lies with me, if you lean toward my breast.
Your healing is with me if you come to my chest
وجاردنand Garden ستىCity ماwhat أمرهاits state ماwhat حديثهاits story
وجاردن ستى ما أمرها ما حديثها
وكنتand you were بهاin it بدراa full moon يضيىshines إلىtoward القمريthe turtledove
وكنت بها بدرا يضيى إلى القمري
And Garden City—what of it? What is its story?
Six Gardens, whatever its affair or talk
And there you were a full moon, shining toward the turtledove.
And I was to it a full moon rising toward a crescent
تذكرتI remembered أيامthe days of الثلاثاءTuesday والهوىand love
تذكرت أيام الثلاثاء والهوى
يدورwhirls بناwith us خصرa waist يضمis clasped إلىto خصرa waist
يدور بنا خصر يضم إلى خصر
I remembered the Tuesdays, when love
I recalled the days of Tuesday and love
Whirled us around, waist clasped to waist.
Spinning around us, waist embracing waist
لقدindeed كنتyou were فيon يومthe day of الثلاثاءTuesday فتنةan enchantment
لقد كنت في يوم الثلاثاء فتنة
لروحيto my soul وعقليand my mind والسلافةand the choicest wine منof خمريmy wine
لروحي وعقلي والسلافة من خمري
You were indeed, on Tuesday, an enchantment
Indeed I was on Tuesday intoxication
To my soul and mind, and the choicest of my wine.
To my soul, mind and leftover wine
أنحنdid we اختصمناwe quarreled كيفhow ماwhat ذنبthe fault of عاشقa lover
أنحن اختصمنا كيف ما ذنب عاشق
يحبكhe loves you والحبand love الأثيمsinful منof البرrighteousness
يحبك والحب الأثيم من البر
Did we quarrel? How? What fault has a lover
Why should a lover be blamed
Who loves you, when sinful love is a kind of virtue?
For loving you when love itself is not a sin
تذكرتI remembered ليلthe night of الرملal-Raml ليلthe night هصرتكمI clasped you
تذكرت ليل الرمل ليل هصرتكم
وللغصنand the branch has شوقlonging مستطيرall-consuming إلىfor الهصرbending
وللغصن شوق مستطير إلى الهصر
I remembered the night at al-Raml, the night I clasped you,
I recalled the sandy night, night of your company
And the branch had an all-consuming longing to be bent.
And the branch has growing longing for the sandy bank
وشارعand the street of إسماعيلIsmail والليلand the night حالكpitch-dark
وشارع إسماعيل والليل حالك
بأعوامin years حربof war كنthey were فيin ظلمةthe darkness of القدرfate
بأعوام حرب كن في ظلمة القدر
And Ismail Street, with the night pitch-dark,
And Ismail Street and the night dissolving you
In years of war that lay in the darkness of fate.
In years of war being in the darkness of fate
فإنfor if كانhad أغناكenriched you الجمالbeauty فإننيthen I
فإن كان أغناك الجمال فإنني
غنىrich بشعريin my poetry آهah منat ثروةthe wealth of الشعرpoetry
غنى بشعري آه من ثروة الشعر
For if beauty has enriched you, then I
If beauty has made you rich, I am
Am rich in my poetry—ah, the wealth of poetry!
Rich with my poetry, oh the wealth of poetry
ترشفتI sipped منfrom خديكyour two cheeks كأسa cup of مدامةwine
ترشفت من خديك كأس مدامة
فصرتso I came to أعيشI sustain الروحthe soul منfrom ذلكthat السؤرremaining draught
فصرت أعيش الروح من ذلك السؤر
I sipped a cup of wine from your cheeks,
I sipped from your cheek a cup of wine
So I came to sustain my soul on that remaining draught.
And so I live the soul from that nectar
لئنeven if كانتhad الأيامthe days زالتpassed away فإننيthen I
لئن كانت الأيام زالت فإنني
سأحياI will live بذكراهاon their memory إلىuntil آخرthe end of العمرlife
سأحيا بذكراها إلى آخر العمر
Even if those days have passed away, I
If days have passed, I will live
Will live on their memory to the end of my life.
Remembering them till the end of life
فياso, O فارسknight of الفرسانthe knights ماwhat أنتyou صانعdoing
فيا فارس الفرسان ما أنت صانع
إذاif أنتyou لمdo not تركبyou ride جواديmy steed ولاnor مهريmy colt
إذا أنت لم تركب جوادي ولا مهري
So, O knight of knights, what will you do
Oh knight of knights what will you do
If you ride neither my steed nor my colt?
If you do not ride my steed or stallion
وعيناكand your two eyes ماwhat عيناكyour two eyes آهah ولوعةand burning longing
وعيناك ما عيناك آه ولوعة
إلىfor لحظكyour glance المكحولlined with kohl بالنورwith light والسحرand magic
إلى لحظك المكحول بالنور والسحر
And your eyes—what eyes! Ah, the burning longing
Your eyes, oh your eyes, oh agony
For your glance, kohled with light and magic.
For your glance inlaid with light and sorcery
أمرI pass علىby الدارthe house التيthat تعرفونهاyou know it
أمر على الدار التي تعرفونها
فأكحلso I apply kohl منfrom عينيmy eyes بذياكمwith that العفرdust
فأكحل من عيني بذياكم العفر
I pass by the house that you know,
I passed by the house you know
So I line my eyes with that dust.
So my eyes are lined with your white dusk
أتذكرdo you remember فيon يومthe day of الثلاثاءTuesday ساعةan hour
أتذكر في يوم الثلاثاء ساعة
قطعناwe crossed بهاduring it البيداءthe desert فيat ساعةthe hour of الظهرnoon
قطعنا بها البيداء في ساعة الظهر
Do you remember an hour one Tuesday,
Do you recall on Tuesday an hour
When we crossed the desert at noon?
We spent crossing the desert at noon
بكيناwe wept وغنيناand we sang وأنتand you بجانبيbeside me
بكينا وغنينا وأنت بجانبي
فزادso it increased ونبعand sprang forth الماءthe water منfrom ذلكthat الصخرrock
فزاد ونبع الماء من ذلك الصخر
We wept and sang, with you beside me,
We cried and sang with you beside me
So the water rose and gushed from that rock.
So water sprang from that rock
وشارعand the street of رمسيسRamses أتنسىdo you forget عهودهits bygone days
وشارع رمسيس أتنسى عهوده
ونحنwhile we نديرpass around الحبlove جمراas embers إلىto جمرembers
ونحن ندير الحب جمرا إلى جمر
And Ramses Street—do you forget the days spent there,
And Ramses Street, do you forget its times
While we passed love, ember to ember?
As we turn love to embers, ember to ember
سأنسىI will forget كماas تنسىyou forget وماand not تلكthat بدعةa novelty
سأنسى كما تنسى وما تلك بدعة
فماfor not كلevery نسيانforgetting يكونis منfrom البصرsight
فما كل نسيان يكون من البصر
I will forget as you forget, and that is nothing new;
I will forget as you forget, no strange thing that
For not all forgetting comes from sight.
Not all forgetting comes from vision’s loss
سأنسىI will forget الذيwhat قدonce كانwas بينيbetween me وبينكمand between you
سأنسى الذي قد كان بيني وبينكم
وإنand even if أصبحbecomes النسيانforgetting ضرباa kind منof الكفرunbelief
وإن أصبح النسيان ضربا من الكفر
I will forget what once was between me and you,
I will forget what was between you and I
Even if forgetting becomes a kind of unbelief.
Though forgetting becomes a kind of blasphemy
ثلاثةthree أيامdays تقضتhave passed ولمand have not تجىءyou come
ثلاثة أيام تقضت ولم تجىء
فهلso, have أبصرتseen عيناكyour two eyes بعدىafter me فتىa young man غيريother than me
فهل أبصرت عيناك بعدى فتى غيري
Three days have passed, and you have not come;
Three days have passed and you did not come
So have your eyes, after me, seen a young man other than me?
Did your eyes after me see another lad?
Sol 6.1